PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Maurice Lake, who was heavily criticised for agreeing to purchase the Vorst Estate property for an "exorbitant price that can drive up the cost of real estate in St. Maarten," says he is preparing for a legal battle over this issue.

 

Lake was at the time responding to a meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament held on Friday, in which several Members of Parliament (MPs) said that he should be held personally liable for the agreement he had signed to purchase the Vorst Estate for way above the market value, and for the procedures he had followed in this process.

 

Lake, who issued a release about the matter following Friday's meeting of the Central Committee, said in a second release on Sunday that he will prepare himself legally as MPs were making the issue a personal one and he had to defend the "slandering" of his name. Lake claims that MPs were "crossing the line" and according to him had been "creating confusion in the community.

 

"As Minister of VROMI, I made a decision in the best interest of the people to purchase the Vorst Estate rather than leasing the property which was going to cost much more, several million dollars more and you don't own the property at the end of the lease," Lake said. He said he did nothing wrong and noted that if government wanted to overrule and lease the property "so be it... As the old people say when you dig a hole, you have to dig two."

 

He asked who should be held liable for the new Government Administration building, which has been empty for years; for "increasing the price of the Emilio Wilson Estate without the Council's approval; the asphalt and sand deal; the St. Peters Hill illegal construction without having a deed; building an illegal Co2 gas tank on a Good Friday in Dutch Quarter."

 

Lake said each minister has a budget and makes "their own decision on how those funds are to be spent," but "still consults with his colleagues in the Council if or when necessary."

 

He said focus should be on the large number of armed robberies in St. Maarten.

 

(The Daily Herald)